Jejune
by SkyGem
Summary: Ever since a certain Christmas Day when he was little, Ryoma has seen the world as black and white. Even after ten years, his eyes are still like that. He doesn't want to tell anyone about his secret because he's already been betrayed...Brat Pair.


Summary: Ever since a certain Christmas Day when he was little, Ryoma has seen the world as black and white. Even after ten years, his eyes are still like that. He doesn't want to tell anyone about his secret because he's already been "betrayed" once by a friend. After that, they were separated. Little did he know of the surprises in store for her…Brat Pair

SkyeSyren: Hey all! This is a fic request for DarkAngel1048 based on a cute oneshot I recently read. I hope y'all like it! Please don't forget to r&r!

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis, or Monochrome World, which this fic is based on.

* * *

**Ten Years Ago, Christmas Eve**  
_3rd Person POV_

"Everyone's favourite holiday is coming soon! Today is Christmas Eve!" said the chipper sounding daycare teacher. "Around this time of year, there're lots of red things everywhere! Does anyone know any?"

"Santa Clause!" called one of the students.

"A reindeer's nose!" said another.

"Blood!" screamed one young girl.

"A really big strawberry on top of a cake!" shouted one young boy by the name of Ryoma. "Oyaji is always at work, but this year, he promised to buy me a cake this big!" said the little boy enthusiastically, stretching his little arms as far apart as he could. "I'm always alone on my birthday, so this is my first time with oyaji!"

"Really?" asked the teacher, feeling pity for the little one. "Ryo-kun, I'm so happy for you!"

A big smile spread across his face.

* * *

_Dear Ryoma,_

_Sorry, some work came up,_

_-Papa_

As the little boy sat in the dark house all alone, the rest of the country was counting down to Christmas day.

As the count reached one, a stray tear ran down his cheek, and around him, the colour began to drain out of his world.

* * *

"Oh," said the young-looking green-haired man. "You didn't eat the cake from yesterday? And after I finally bought one, too. You said you wanted to eat one, Ryoma."

"But this one is rotten!" said the adorable preschooler. "Look! This strawberry is pitch black!"

* * *

**Ryoma**

_That day, the colour red disappeared from my world._

_

* * *

_

Ten years later

"It's almost Christmas, huh," said Momo as the two of us were changing our clothes in the change room after practise. "We're already in high school, man! What happened to getting girlfriends?"

I just ignored him. His rambling was getting tiring.

"Oi! Gaki!" he said when he realised I wasn't listening to him. As I exited the change rooms, he caught up to me and slung his arm around my shoulder. "Look over there, that redhead! Isn't she totally me type

"What? The one with the bob cut?" I asked, sounding bored.

"No, baka! Get your eyes checked! I said the redhead, she's a brunette!" he said, irritated, thinking I hadn't been listening to him again. "Though she's cute too…" he mused after a while.

"Whatever," I said, turning my head away. It was all the same to me. To me, they all had pitch black hair.

"There you go again, ignoring all the girls, even though they flock to you," he said. "Man! I'm totally jealous! Every Christmas, you get asked out by a girl every five minutes, but you turn them all down! What's wrong with you? Are you gay?"

"You wish," I said, removing his arm from my shoulder. By then, we had arrived at my house and I said, "Ja ne, Momo-sempai."

"Tadaima!" I called, walking in through the door.

"Ryoma!" said my father, sounding like a little child. "You're home!" he said, latching onto me. "Ne, look! Nanako-chan is making chicken for dinner! Western style!"

"Great," I said, not really interested.

Suddenly, he got a sad look on his face. "I'm sorry," he said, sounding upset. "When you were a child, I often left you alone on Christmas. Because of that, you've said some strange things, right? Like a pitch black strawberry."

Picking his arms off of me, I turned towards my room, saying in a bored voice, "I only said that to cheer you up, baka oyaji. You really can't take a joke, can you?"

"Mou, that's mean!" he said. Then, smiling, he said, "I'm happy you're not lonely anymore."

"Uh huh," I said, walking out of the room.

Once I got there, I locked the door, and slid down to the floor, cradling my head in my arms.

_I absolutely will NOT tell anyone my secret again._

* * *

"_It's a secret," said a cute 7 year old. "The rain is black, the sky is white, people are white, and cats are black. The movies I watch are in black and white, and I see a lot of other things in black and white. There are still a few colours that I can see, but I know they're disappearing little by little."_

"_Why is it like that?" asked his curly haired companion._

"_I don't know."_

"_When will it be fixed?"_

"_I don't know," replied the amber eyed one again. Then, after a slight hesitation, "Aki-chan, do you believe me? My secret?"_

"_Yeah."_

"Ryoma!" called a voice, bringing me out of my memories.

Lifting my head up, I saw that it was Horio.

"What do you want?" I asked irritatedly.

"You were really sleeping, weren't you?" he asked, seeming exasperated. "And in Takiyama-sensei's class too. You've got nerve!"

"Ah!" exclaimed Kachiro. "It's raining! Practise is going to be cancelled."

Suddenly, I was taken back to that time eight years ago.

"_He sees the rain as black?" asked one boy._

"_Yeah. Also, he sees a lot of other things as black and white," replied the first boy._

"_Did you hear it from him?"_

"_No, it's just a rumor. But if it's true, isn't that really scary?"_

_Unable to hold my tears back, I ran away._

_My best friend, whom I trusted more than anyone, had betrayed me. From that moment, I lost all trust in others._

"I'm going ahead," I told the others and left before any of them could reply.

I had forgotten my umbrella, so I knew I was going to get soaked on my way home.

"_Let me go! I said it was a secret! Why did you tell other people about it?" screamed the boy with emerald locks._

"_Eh?" asked his confused companion. "But I thought it would make you happy that you didn't have to lie to everyone!"_

_As tears ran down his face, Ryoma forcefully wiped them away. "I was really happy when you said that you believed me, but the truth is, you don't believe me, tight? You liar!"_

As something warm trickled down my face, I tasted it on my lips, and knew that my own tears were mixed in with the rain falling from the heavens.

Suddenly feeling a hand on my shoulder, I turned around to see a second year wearing the Rikkai regulars jersey.

Smiling gently, he pulled me close to him, under his umbrella, and held me until I stopped crying.

When my tears finally stopped, I pulled away and looked up at him, and he smiled. The rain, too, had stopped.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

I nodded, and he laughed, saying, "That's good then."

He turned to go, but I caught him by the wrist.

Turning around, he looked at me curiously, and I said, "You're Akaya, from the Rikkai team, aren't you? Can you come to the temple on XX road later? I have something I want to give you as thanks."

I couldn't look him in the eye, so I stared at the floor.

"Sure thing!" he said, and I looked up just as a huge grin graced his features.

* * *

**Nanjiroh**

"Mm, something smells good," I said, walking into the kitchen. Seeing Ryoma decorating a cake, I said, "Ooh, a homemade cake. Did a girl give that to you?"

"I made it myself," he said nonchalantly.

"But isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" I asked playfully.

He ignored me, saying, "Now all that's left is to put on the strawberries."

Not liking being ignored, I went to the other room.

A few minutes later, Ryoma rushed out the door, and I assumed it was safe to go back into the kitchen.

As I was heading to the fridge, a bright splash of colour caught my attention and I turned to see Ryoma's cake in the garbage.

This confused me. "Ryoma-?" I said, knowing he couldn't hear me.

* * *

**Akaya**

As Ryoma came into view, I smiled. Then, seeing that she wasn't holding anything, I said, "You're empty-handed."

He smiled with pain in his eyes. "There was something I wanted to give you but, while I was baking it, I messed up."

It was then that I knew, his world was still monochrome.

Grabbing his hand, I pulled him after me, leading him somewhere.

"Wha-? Akaya-san?" he said, surprised.

* * *

**Ryoma**

When he stopped running, we were in front of a giant Christmas tree.

I knew that it the shiny ornaments were many different colours of the rainbow, but all I could see was black. It was the same with the cake. I couldn't give him a cake that was pitch black.

As the tears slipped silently down my cheeks, I looked up at Akaya and with a start, I recognized him.

"Akaya Kirihara," he said, smiling sadly.

_Aki-chan!_

"Do you remember now, Ryo-chan?"

"B-but you moved away!" I exclaimed.

"I moved back in my third year of junior high, and I finally met you again. I'm glad that you forgot about me, I you're able to smile again…" he hesitated then. "But I know, the world is still black and white for you, isn't it?"

I couldn't say a word.

"At that time, I was a kid," he continued. "I couldn't do anything. But now, I can take you into my arms like this," he said, pulling into the safety of his embrace. "And hold you until you stop crying."

He tilted my chin up, and as my tears started flowing again, I realized that all these years, I had been waiting to hear those words. I thought I had been betrayed, but deep down, I still believed in Aki-chan.

Slowly, as he leaned in close, my eyes began to close in preparation for the kiss. And when I opened them again, the first thing I saw was the brightly lit Christmas tree watching over us, and the little red Santa Claus at the top was laughing merrily.

"Aki-chan, have your eyes always been this green?"

* * *

SkyeSyren: So, what did you all think? Please review and let me know how I did on this.


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